The New Estate Tax

The New Estate Tax

As of 2010, the estate tax will be repealed. At first blushthis sounds like a real windfall to the American public, but because of the wayCongress and its laws are structured, the estate tax comes right back intoexistence in the year 2011, unless the Congress at that time agrees to vote itback out of existence. Who knows which factions will be in power at that timeand what will happen.

The top tax rate of 55% will immediately drop to 50% in 2002,and by 2009 it will eventually be 45%. The $675,000.00 individual exemption asit exists this year will be raised to $1,000,000.00 in 2002, $1,500,000.00 in2004, $2,000,000.00 in 2006, and $3,500,000.00 in 2009.

The real pitfall is not the elimination of the estate tax,but rather the Carry Over Basis Rule that we will have to deal with. In reality,in many cases, we will be replacing the estate tax with a capital gain/incometax issue. The old step up in Basis Rule goes out the window. The old way, wasthat upon the death of a person, the assets in their name, got a stepped up inbasis to the date of death value, rather than the acquired value. For example,if the decedent had acquired property for $100,000.00 and at his/her death theproperty was worth $250,000.00, those inheriting that property would get a basisstepped up to $250,000.00. If they immediately sold that asset, there would beno capital gains tax to be paid. That is not the way it is under the new Act.There is a possibility of a step up in basis for non-spouses of $1.3 million and$3 million for spouses, if appropriately planned for. Some assets will not beavailable for this step up. The record keeping that will be necessary, will behorrendous. Furthermore, the record keeping goes on from generation togeneration if the property is not sold, but rather passed on through the family.

The gift tax has not been repealed but some new rules havegone into place. The intent of the rules are to prevent higher tax bracketowners from transferring to lower tax bracket owners. A $1 million lifetime giftexclusion goes into effect beginning 2002. The gift tax rate will declinethrough 2010, at which time gifts in excess of $1 million will be taxed at arate equal to the top income tax rate at that time.

Having practiced in this area for almost 30 years, we have seen variouschanges to the law. At the beginning of the Ford administration, the tax law wasradically changed. The problem back then was that it was so complex that eventhe most astute estate planners could not determine how to handle the new law.Within a short period of time, it was repealed and the law which we are familiarwith and has been in place for approximately the last 20 years was implemented.Hopefully, when Congress realizes the nightmare they have created, there will besome serious revisions to the Carry Over Basis Rule. This does not mean that wecan simply sit back and do nothing. We must keep working on our estates withwhat is available to us at the current time. Even if the higher exemption limitsavoids federal estate tax for some individuals, there is still the ramificationsof Probate Court, Incompetency and the possibility of a State inheritance taxwhich need to be dealt with. The Living Trust can go a long way to handlingthese issues.

What Does the Family Do When Dad LosesHis Marbles?  ClickHere to get the Answer!

What Happens When Your Child SuddenlyInherits the Family Fortune?  ClickHere to get the Answer!

Home- www.Curielli.com

LawOffices of John Peter Curielli, P.C.

126S. Northwest Hwy

Barrington,IL 60010-4608

(847)381-7555

Email:LawOffices@Curielli.com